I've only had a cell phoe once that the company provided. It's handy, but I have no real desire to get wrapped up in them. I don't want to be one of those doofuses who wander the aisles at the super market asking, "Should I get Skippy or Peter Pan?".

Anyhow, over the weekend I inherited some phones. Three of them look relatively modern (one Sanyo (?) from AT&T) and a couple of Motorola NexTel phones. They all have SIM cards. (The fourth one is an old Motorola StarTrac, which I think is just too old to be of much use).

My projected use would be a couple of calls a week, maybe the same in as out. I have zero interest in texting, Web surfing, etc. My life is simple (by design) and I don't need the hassle.

So ...

I have been told that I can activate them by purchasing phone cards. True? Or do I have to sign up for someone's basic service or what?

The AT&T phone is listed as "dual band". Does this mean it will be usable in Europe?

Is there any kind of Cell Phones for Dummies I can refer to, or just ask the nearest 14-year old?